


It's Just A Burning Memory

by SonicaSpeed123



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Amnesia, Angst, Basically Sonic kills a dragon and a genie, Gen, Headcanon, Minor Violence, Platonic Relationships, Repressed Memories, it ends kinda sad, technically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29468679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicaSpeed123/pseuds/SonicaSpeed123
Summary: Sonic travels into the worlds of storybooks and finds the worlds are filled with familiar faces!All except the face of one girl... He's sure he knows that face, but from where..?
Relationships: Merlina the Wizard (Sonic the Hedgehog) & Sonic the Hedgehog, Princess Elise & Sonic the Hedgehog, Princess Elise/Sonic the Hedgehog, Shahra the Genie (Sonic the Hedgehog) & Sonic the Hedgehog, if you squint
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	It's Just A Burning Memory

“I am Erazor Djinn. I am the one who shall carve up this world as I see fit!”

“Yeah, well, if you’re gonna do that, can you at least wait until I’m done reading it, first?”

“Sonic…” Shahra sounded almost offended. He winked playfully at her- he didn’t mean anything by it.

The djinn started monologuing about his evil plan, and Sonic started getting bored. He tapped his foot impatiently as the evil spirit drew out every word.

“-And then, with the seven World Rings-!”

“-Seven World Rings?” His ears perked up. That sure sounded familiar.

“You have gathered the seven World Rings for me, have you not,” Erazor directed his intimidating gaze to the genie, “Shahra, my dear?” Sonic felt his skin crawl at the way he said it, and he was ready to have a go at the creep.

“Are you still going on about that?” She cut him off, clearly as irritated as Sonic felt, “I told you, those things don’t even exist! And even if they did, I’d never give them to you!” Sonic silently cheered her on for standing up to the weirdo.

“Oh, wouldn’t you, though..?” The Erazor grinned. “I suppose a suitable punishment is in order, then...”

He raised a hand to point at her, and Shahra flinched at the motion. The tip of the djinn’s finger ignited into a small flame, and Sonic’s instinct took over.

“Look out!” He shouted and leapt between the two spirits just as the flame rocketed through the air, feeling it pierce his skin and burn through his chest. He felt dizzy as his body collapsed from the pain.

“Sonic!” The girl caught him from behind before he could fall. He looked up to assure her that he was fine, and-

He felt the life draining from his body. Elise’s tears fell onto his cheeks, and the world erupted into flame. He desperately tried to yell her name, to reach up and dry her tears, but his body was heavier than stone. Then, the hole in his chest swallowed everything. Darkness. No, less than darkness.

Nothing.

“-Sonic!?” Shahra shook him slightly, bringing him back from his trance. He snapped to attention, looking between the bolt of flame embedded in his heart and the djinn that put it there. The fire sputtered, and he realized that his tears were falling onto it. Every drop made him feel weaker. He hurried to wipe the streams from his muzzle- not wanting to look pathetic in front of that monster.

Erazor Djinn laughed at the twist of fate. “So, this is how Judgement is dealt, is it? Hmm, this should be interesting.” He leaned over Sonic, who was still reeling from… whatever that was. “You listening?”

Sonic snarled at him, and he backed off. Magic runes surrounded the djinn.

“Bring me the seven World Rings before the arrow of flame extinguishes. If you do not…” His grin spread wide, red eyes flashing with evil.

“...Your life is forfeit.”

The runes sparked with electricity, surrounding the djinn as he continued laughing. Sonic shielded his eyes from the flashing, and when it stopped, the Erazor Djinn had vanished.

“Well…” Sonic stood up on his own, testing his legs. “That’s not great.”

“Are… Are you alright, Sonic?” Shahra’s face was tight with concern.

“Yeah, I’m good! Doesn’t hurt-  _ ouch-!”  _ He winced as he brushed a hand a bit too close to the flame. He pulled it away and shook the pain out. “-Eh, doesn’t hurt  _ that  _ bad.”

“...You nearly fell unconscious. You were crying...”

“Oh, that? It’s fine. Happens all the time.” Shahra looked  _ very  _ worried all of a sudden. Dang it, redirect! “Looks like we’ve got our first mission, huh? We need those World Rings, don’t we?”

“Surely you don’t plan to... give them to him?”

“Psh, what? No way! I’ve got a feeling they’ll be able to help us out with taking out this ‘Erazor Djinn’ creep. Just a hunch.” He started walking towards the gate to the world of the Arabian Nights. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we could start, would ya?”

“Well…” She trailed behind him as she started explaining the legend of the seven World Rings.

\---

Sonic felt his feet touch the mosaic tile floor, and he dismissed the World Rings, relieved to let go of the rage, hatred, and sadness they brought along with their power. He looked down at Erazor, who had collapsed in the center of the throne room.

“I… I shall not be defeated! If you defeat me, I shall simply return, again and again! I am immortal! I cannot be vanquished!”

Sonic rolled his eyes and brandished the oil lamp Shahra had given him. The djinn’s face twisted into one of horror.

“It can’t be-!? That’s the-”

“What, this?” Sonic grinned as Erazor shook for a moment. He chuckled, having to admit it was cathartic to see the jerk like this. “Say… The genie of the lamp is supposed to grant three wishes, am I right?”

Erazor’s fear seemed to dissolve as he shouted, “I will never grant any wish from the likes of you!”

Sonic decided to play up this new dynamic, sitting in the throne and crossing his legs with a condescending sneer. “Alright, then…”

“My first wish: Bring Shahra back to life!”

He pointed the tip of the lamp at the genie as its flame shot out like a bullet, striking Erazor square in the chest. His body shook furiously as he resisted, but buckled over in pain. A wisp of magic left his body and flitted over to Sonic, who reached out towards it. It wrapped around his finger, locking tight as Shahra’s ring solidified. He sighed, relieved. He looked back up, and Shahra’s form appeared in a shower of sparkles. She opened her eyes, and Sonic felt that familiar tug somewhere in his memory. He brushed it aside, for now.

“My second wish:” He declared, feeling much more serious this time, “Return the Arabian Nights to the way they were, so that the world can have its stories again!”

Again, he raised the lamp and hit the genie with a bolt of flame. The djinn barely shook at all before a storm of Arabic text swirled around him, flying out of the palace and into the world in a great flurry. Erazor Djinn cried out in pain as his power was taken from him.

When the whirlwind died down, the pitiful spirit looked up at Sonic with hatred in his eyes.

“M- My power-”

Sonic didn’t hesitate.

“-My third wish: Erazor Djinn! You shall live out the rest of time, trapped inside your lamp as you were in days of old!”

He thrust the lamp forward with the last word, firing a final burst into the doomed genie. He watched grimly as Erazor’s body was enveloped in flame. The djinn screamed as he burned away into ash and smoke.

“Shahra! I know you’re there! Please, stop him!” He made one last attempt to manipulate her- disgusting. “We can start over, the two of us! I swear! I swear it!”

He looked up at Shahra, who betrayed no emotion to him. Rage filled him, and he howled again.

“The world is mine! I cannot be denied by that filthy rat!”

His body melted into smoke and spiraled into the air, rushing towards Sonic.

“I told you, I’m  _ not  _ a  _ rat!”  _ He opened the top of the lamp, catching the djinn’s spirit before snapping it closed. His eyes caught the flame at the tip of the lamp.

_ Who knew such a tiny flame could bring such devastation? _

_ I don’t  _ care  _ what happens to the world! _

Without knowing exactly why, he blew the flame out.

“I’m a  _ hedgehog.” _

There was a moment of quiet in the throne room before he heard Shahra’s crying. He paused for a moment, glancing at the floor.

_ Elise… _

He shushed the ghost of a memory within him. Shahra needed him.

“Shahra… Will you grant me one more wish?”

She nodded.

“I wish for a mountain of handkerchiefs.”

She looked baffled, but waved her hand, granting the wish. Sonic turned toward the balcony and gestured for her to follow.

From the bright blue sky, thousands of light, white cloths snowed down to the sands below, dancing in the sunlight.

“Now, just let yourself cry. As much as you need to.”

Her face twisted as she held back a sob.

“You’ll have plenty of handkerchiefs to help you through it.” He smiled encouragingly as Shahra fell into him for a hug, and she finally let it out.

\---

Merlina lanced a ball of fire through the air at the draconic beast, narrowly missing Sonic as he slashed at the monster’s head. The fireball seared into the dragon’s eye, and he felt his fur start to burn with the proximity.

“Watch it, Merlina-!”

He whipped his head around as he shouted, then froze for a moment.

For an instant, she looked different. So familiar, yet he couldn’t quite place the memory…

“Pay attention, Knave!” Caliburn shouted, just seconds before the dragon reared its head up, sending him flying into the air.

“Sonic!” The wizard cried out, helpless as she watched the hero fall.

Thinking quickly, he curled into a ball and spun, swinging Caliburn around him as he landed on the beast’s back. The sword lodged into the dragon’s thick skin, and it howled in pain.

Merlina breathed and continued her own attack, distracting the creature as Sonic pulled Caliburn from the wound and rushed up the lizard’s spine.

With all his strength, he leapt up into the air and swung Caliburn, slicing through the dragon’s neck and decapitating it.

He landed clumsily, breathing heavily.

“You’ve done it! Very impressive, Sonic!”

He flashed a grin and a thumbs-up to Merlina, “Nah,  _ we _ did it, sister!”

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Are you quite alright? I am not-”

He laughed and let go of Caliburn, letting him float freely, “I know, it’s- It’s an expression. Thanks for your help.” He glanced at the sword. “You, too.”

Caliburn looked a bit taken aback, but returned to his grumpy self quickly. “Are you going to clean this off of me, or am I going to stink like lizard blood all day? Do you know nothing of proper weapon maintenance?”

Sonic rolled his eyes and smiled. “Alright, geez. Let’s keep moving, yeah?”

\---

Sonic shivered in the cool nighttime air. He usually preferred the cold to the heat of the fire, but tonight must have been especially chilly. He rolled off the tree branch he was perched in, this time sticking the landing perfectly.

Of course he’d get it right the one time the wizard and sword  _ weren’t  _ watching.

He approached the fire, and announced his presence so he didn’t scare Merlina like the last time.

“Hey-” She looked up from her grimoire, through the flames, and the pang of familiarity was back. Her hair was nearly red through the bright filter of the fire. He could barely make out light freckles dotting her face. The memory of feathers pinned to her hair came to him. He remembered a white dress, and her laugh-

“-Elise..?”

“...Pardon?”

He blinked, and it was gone again. Dammit, that was annoying. He shook his head to dispel the odd feeling that he was missing something.

“Nothin’. Got room for me?”

“Of course! Do you need a blanket?”

“Nah, I’m good. Fire’s warm enough for me.”

“Sleep well,” she smiled, going back to writing.

Didn’t she need to sleep, too? Ah, well. Wasn’t any of his business. She’d probably go to bed when she was finished.

“G’night,” he yawned, settling down and leaning his head against a tree trunk before letting sleep in.

**Author's Note:**

> I headcanon that Merlina and Shahra are Elise's counterparts in the storybook worlds... but Sonic can't quite remember her completely. aghh it hurts :)
> 
> also the title is a reference to Everywhere At The End Of Time because Memory Loss


End file.
